Customer Reviews

Chrome Dreams II CD/DVD Special Edition

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The new neil is great, people, about the dvd, it is included because neil is an audiophile. Just because you hear it is a dvd, don't assume movies or videos are going to be on it. The dvd is for the dvd-audio mix! Yes, it sounds better than the flat one dimensional drink coaster (i mean CD!). To sum it up you are getting the best of both worlds, a cd for your ipod or car cd player and a DVD audio disc for your high quality stereo system at home! Insert the DVD and sit down and enjoy!!

"I can think of something better to do"? The purpose of Neil's included DVDs is to provide a high-resolution recording of his album without forcing the consumer to buy a DVD-Audio player. By using the DVD-Video spec for the hi-rez audio version, he is affording owners of ordinary DVD players the opportunity to hear a high quality music recording. Any video/slideshow that happens to accompany the music is simply fluff. If the listener is content with music as background while doing other things, then purchasing the regular CD version of the albums is more than sufficient. The ipod/mp3 generation is really missing out by not listening to music for the music's sake alone. Oh, and I did listen to both the CD and DVD versions of this album, and the DVD is clearly superior in clarity, dynamic range, and overall depth of sound.

The Neil Young "Chrome Dreams" DVD is playing right now, and my wife just wandered out of the room, exclaiming, "I can find something more interesting to do."

And that's the caveat emptor for this Combo Pack: the DVD is only a higher-audio-quality version of the CD. Content on some Neil CD/DVD combos feature live rehearsal/performance footage. Not this one. Perhaps it's the fact that some of the songs on this album were recorded back in the eighties, when he was being sued by Geffen for not recording "Neil Young albums," but the DVD simply has a montage of photographs of broken-down cars accompanying the songs. "It would be better," she told me, as she walked out of the room, "if they included the 'brown acid' with it. That would make it more watchable." Wow! Harsh criticism from a long-time Neil fan.

If you're just going to listen to this in the car, on your mp3 player, or on a boombox, save the bucks and buy the CD only version. The DVD is only for serious-180-gram-vinyl-audiophiles.

Selah.

Oh, yeah. Neil Young rocks. 78 stars.

Looks like a lot of people are complaining about the DVD - they obviously didn't read the package! It is a DVD-audio version of the album! Higher quality audio, but if you are listening on a car or portable player, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. (Or if you have one of those under-$100 "surround sound" systems.)

Great to hear Neil rocking the free world once again! BTW, the photos used for visuals on the DVD are all of old cars on Neil's ranch and were shot by my old friend Will Mitchell, and copies of the best photos have been auctioned off to aid the Bridge School!

For me this is in the top 5 releases of 2007. Its just awesome Neil. The sound quality on the bonus DVD in the collector's edition is fantastic thru a good home theater. Its 96kHz stereo, and sounds really excellent. If only more artists did this I'd be a happy guy. Its getting depressing that most of the time you have to track down vinyl recordings to get a true audiophile experience of new material. Due to the loudness race, many artists are releasing overcompressed and over-loud standard CD's, and then releasing a properly mastered version on vinyl for audiophiles. Which are usually about $25-30. Well I applaud Neil for giving us the hi-res DVD packaged with the CD for a nice price of under $20. It sounds fantastic! This edition is a gift, not a rip-off as someone mentioned. If you care about the sound quality of what you listen to, this is the version you want. Just don't buy this version expecting to have something to watch, its just a series of morphing still pictures to accompany the hi-rez audio.

Now as for the actual songs, I love them. My favorite at the moment is the 14:31 long guitar jam "No Hidden Path". I dont think it gets much better than that if youre a Neil fan. Really all the songs are excellent, other favorites are Beautiful Bluebird, Boxcar and Spirit Road. Neil just keeps on going, putting out albums that blow the doors off artists half his age. I hope he keeps giving us more gems like this for many years to come.

When purchasing the CD/DVD edition, I was aware from looking at the package that the DVD was an audiophile version of the same material and, since it was only $3.00 more than the standard CD version, I was content to pay this for the enhanced audio and packaging. So, it was a pleasant surprise to find that there were visuals included, and these are atmospheric and beautiful. No, these aren't music videos or documentary material as such, but I don't believe the intent is to view these in a similar manner. The artistic value of these visuals will prove to be more enduring to me than the content typically associated with DVD add-ons. Congratulations, Neil...and Happy Birthday on November 12.

It seems there is a lot of disappointment due to the fact that people don't realize the dvd that comes with this deluxe edition is a dvd-a or dvd-AUDIO, not a movie dvd.

So let's get that straight. I don't know if this is amazon's fault for not saying so or if it is the record company's fault for not making it clear, but it needs to be known by Amazon's customers that this is a dvd-AUDIO. What is a dvd audio? Your dvd player may not play them, but some dvd players have dvd-audio capability and if you have a 5.1 sound system, that plays dvd-a then you will want this version!

If you do not, then you are wasting your money.

By the way, this is as good as Prairie Wind, as an album; but this goes more to the rock and roll direction, whereas PW was more of a country rock album.

Gotta love Neil! He's one of the few old times still doing great stuff!

OLD BLACK is BACK ! ! !

Neil Young is absolutely amazing! His well is so deep, I don't think we will ever see the bottom of it - and the water tastes cool, clean, and sweet. Take a drink from the latest to come forth from his endless fountain! Buy the collecter's, limited edition, too!

This album is yet again another masterpiece added to his countless others. I am listening to it right now as I type these words - and I will write more when I get the time to revise this review - but for now, just know that this is another classic, 5-STAR album from Neil.

If you want a glimpse of what to expect, think a blend of HARVEST, OLD WAYS, ELDORADO, and RAGGED GLORY. Yeah, it's that different, and that good. Think a combination of hippie-country, hard-folk, and good old, barn band-rock! This album is like a microcosm of a Neil Young concert, and Neil's lifetime of work - a half and half blend of acoustic folkie stuff and electric rock stuff. It's all good music!

If you love Neil Young as much as I do, then you're gonna really love this record. It stands out as one of his greatest. I just bought it, so I haven't had a chance yet to watch the DVD disc that comes with the collector's edition, but when I do I will add more to this review later. In the meantime, I am really digging on this truly outstanding album.

I'd rather go without food than to go without the music of Neil Young. It gets me though the day better than anything I can think of. If you feel the same way, you're going to love this album.

You rock, Neil! ... YOWZA! - The Aeolian Kid

A CD you'll play over and over and over again.
For those who like to strum along with Neil, this collection will surely please you. I recommend it to all who'd like to sit back,and enjoy.

I love the Hi Rez DVD. I own all of the Neil hi rez dvd's. Now to the music. It has a little of every genre like some of his albums of the past. If you bought the U.S. bashing album that preceded this and were disappointed don't hesitate to get this one. Dirty Old Man is as grungy as anything he's ever done. If you like his folkier stuff it's there too. Really good song writing, as always.